If you were stranded on an island w/ 3 books...

[Angel Tarragon]

Shackled City Hardcover
A Game Of Thrones DLE
Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Edition

 

[Pinotage]

Monster books, definitely. Preferable templates. So, uhm:

Advanced Bestiary
Book of Templates Deluxe Edition
Beast Builder

Pinotage

 

[shilsen]

Seems like I've done this before:

The Big d20 Survival Book
The Inflatable Book of Naval Adventuring
d20 How to Make Oars Out of Sand

 

[Mark CMG]

(. . .) what three D20 3.5 books (. . .)

Tough call. 3.x might have been easier. UA and the DMG II would both be good choices, IMO. After 3.5 came about, many publishers were into creating either shorter works and/or books that were much more narrow in focus, which I think doesn't lend itself well to the desert island scenario. Depending on whether the group was more into Combat or RPing, I think I might choose as a third book either Green Ronin's Advanced Bestiary or their Medieval Player's Manual.

 

[diaglo]

Whichever ones make the best toilet paper and have the highest nutritional content

ditto.

so the ones with the most pages. also to use as possible signal fire.

 

[DaveMage]

Wilderlands, WLD, and Shackled City. That should keep us occupied till rescue comes or we manage to reproduce and let the kids finish.

Great choices!

Seconded!

 

[J-Buzz]

Worlds Largest Dungeon
MM II
MM III

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Arcana Evolved
Midnight 2nd Edition
Not sure for a third book...

 

[sjmiller]

Gosh, do they have to be D&D 3.5 books? I don't even own the core 3.5 books!

I would rather take my Classic Traveller reprint books: Vol 1 (main books 1-8), Vol 2 (Complete Supplements), and then maybe the one that covers the most alien races.

If I HAD to pick D&D books, I would probably go with Arcana Evolved, City State of the Invincible Overlord, and Tome of Horror I.

I would prefer the Traveller books though.

 

[KB9JMQ]

Eberron, World's Largest Dungeon and Monsternimicon.
I think these 3 would last a very long time.